Toy



J. AND H. SHAPIRO.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1920.

1,423,8 1 9, Patented July 25, 1922.

w QQLA JACOB SHAPIRO AND HARRY SHAPIRO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY.

1' 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that Jason SHAPIRO and HARRY Srrarrno, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to self-propelling toys of the inertia-wheel type.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a v toy of this character of simple construction,

the motor mechanism comprising a minimum number of parts adapted to be easily assembled in compact form in small space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of the above type in which the inertia wheel is energized through apowertransmission adapted to minimize friction so that a very high percentage of the stored energy is utilized in the auto-propulsion of the toy.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the apparatus hereinafter described and the scope of application of which will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical, elevation of a toy aeroplane in which the'motor mechanism may be applied advantageously;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly torn away to show the motor mechanism on the interior of the toy;

Fig. 3 is a similar part vertical elevation showing the motor mechanism; and

Fig. 4: is a detailed cross-sectional view out along line 4.-4= of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the invention has been embodied for illustrative purposes in a toy aeroplane having a shaped body 10 and wings or planes 11, 12 and provided with a propeller 13. Front and rear wheels 14, 15 are mounted on axles 16, 17, suitably secured to the body as by cross-pieces or supports 18. The front wheels are the traction wheels and the power is transmitted thereto by the motormechanism now to be described.

The motor mechanism is preferably Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented July 25, 1922.

Application filed April 14, 1920. Serial No. 373,691.

mounted in the forward part of the toy as in the bow of the aeroplane and is so arranged and constructed as to occupy a minimum of space and leave the toy well balanced. A main shaft 19 journaled in a cross-piece 20 is secured at the forward end to the propeller which carries the crank handle 21. Mounted on the shaft 19 is a gear 22 adapted to mesh with a smallergear23 on the counter-shaft 24: journaled in the cross-pieces 20, 25. This shaft 2 1 carries a pulley 26 for a belt or other suitable drive 2? adapted to transmit the motion to the traction axle 16. Mounted adjacent the rear end of the shaft 24 is a comparatively large gear 28 adapted to mesh with a smaller gear 29 carried on the free end of a shaft 30 disposed above the shaft 24: in operative relation thereto, journaled at the other end in a cross piece 31. The shaft 30 carries the inertia wheel 32 in which the energy is stored from the auto-propulsion of the toy. It will be noted that the main shaft 19 is centrally located within the body and that the counter-shaft 24 is disposed directly beneath the same so that the various gears and parts are compactly arranged and the weight thereof equally distributed.

Means may be provided for normally holding the gear 22 out of engagement with the gear 23 as by means of the spring 38 on the main shaft 19.

In the operation of the device, the toy is first held off the floor and the shaft 19 is thrown in against the spring 33 to bring the gear 22'into mesh with the gear 23. The crank handle 21 is then operated and the motion transmitted to the counter-shaft 2A and the gear 28, from which the motion is transmitted to the smaller gear 29 and the shaft 30 thus rotating the inertia wheel 32. It will be noted that by reason of the drive pulley 26 being mounted on the counter- I shaft 24, the front forward traction wheels are started in rotation simultaneously with the store of the energy in the inertia wheels, so that when the toy is placed on the floor the traction axle has already been started in motion, and the propulsion is continued by the rotation of the inertia wheelas will be readily understood. By the rotation of the larger and smaller gears 28 and 29, the speed of the inertia wheel is stepped up so as to increase the momentum thereof. The traction wheel is not directly connected to the shaft which carries the inertia wheel and in,

this Way the effect of the friction and the traction Wheels against the floor and the reaction of the floor in consuming the energy in the inertia wheel is materially minimized.

It Will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. i

As various possible embodiments might be made O'fthe above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A toy having a shaped body, front and rear traction wheels supported therefrom, and a driving mechanism mounted in the forward portion of the toy and adapted to hold the latter well balanced, said driving mechanism comprising a main shaft, a counter-shaft, means for operating said main shaft, means for transmitting motion from said main shaft to said; countenshaft, resilient means disposed on said main shaft for disposing said transmission means in operative relation, an energizing shaft having an inertia wheel mounted thereon, means on said counter shaft for driving said front traction wheels from said main shaft and means for transmitting motion from said counter shaft to said energizing shaft whereby the operation of the main shaft simultaneously operates said inertia wheel and front traction wheels so that the latter are selfpropelled when the toy is disposed for operation.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York this sixth day of April, A. D. 1920.

JACOB snarmo. HARRY snarrno.

Witnesses SAMUEL ANDERSON, Osrn SIEBERT. 

